Go As a River

 

Go as a River by Shelley Read
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a beautifully written story. It is mostly a sad story. It is a story of a courageous young girl, turned woman who had great sadness to bear all of her life. I felt the ending was abrupt and unsatisfying.

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The Song of Bernadette

>The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story has interested me for years. It is the story of Saint Bernadette. Bernadette was a young, poor girl living in Lourdes, France. She was not particularly smart or gifted and suffered from severe asthma. When she was fourteen years old, she had a vision/visitation from who was later to believed to be the virgin Mary. These visitations continued daily for fourteen days, and then occasionally thereafter. The visitor’s messages included instructions to eat nearby herbs and drink from a spring (which seemed to have healing powers) have a processional, and build a cathedral. Years later, Bernadette became a Catholic nun and shortly after her death was granted sainthood by the Catholic church.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I can’t help but compare Joseph Smith’s story. He was fourteen years old when visited by God, the Father and the Son. He too was given a message, but, unlike Bernadette’s, his message was world changing. He, like Bernadette was doubted and persecuted, but, in almost the same words, both said they had seen a vision and they knew God knew it and they could not deny it.
I know that Joseph’s story is true. I don’t know the truth of Bernadette’s story, but it was so interesting to read and think about. It is a beautiful book. There is a movie of the same title that I would like to see.


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I Found You

 

I Found You by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fiction: Thriller
I find I’m not that good at guessing what will happen in a plot and this one kept me guessing. It is a creative and complex story. It is a love story, and I liked that part. It is a 5-star book for plot and characters. But it’s a 2-star book for the disturbing violent scenes. I wouldn’t mind reading a quiet, happily ever after sequel for I liked the characters and want them to be happy.


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Family Book Club

 We recently gathered online with our daughters for book club.  We were to discuss this book:

It was an excellent book that helps restore faith in humanity.  
But truth be told, most of our time is spent visiting and catching up with each other.

Shonna recently had extensive jaw surgery.  So it was especially good to talk to her and hear her voice.  None of us had talked on the phone with her since communication is hard, but we could understand her just fine on this call.  She was still quite swollen and numb.  We are praying earnestly that she will recover quickly and completely.

We love these "book clubs" with our core family.  How we love these daughters!

PS  We did discuss the book for a few minutes.  I think we all recommend it!

Worth a Thousand Words

 Some pictures just are . . .

This is one of my favorite scenes in all of cinema.  

Something Good

MARIA:
Perhaps I had a wicked childhood
Perhaps I had a miserable youth
But somewhere in my wicked miserable past
There must have been a moment of truth
For here you are standing there loving me
Whether or not you should
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good.

CAPTAIN:
For here you are standing there loving me
Whether or not you should

MARIA:
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
MARIA AND CAPTAIN:
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
MARIA:
So somewhere in my youth
CAPTAIN:
Or childhood
MARIA:
I must have done something
MARIA AND CAPTAIN:
Something good...

We Host the Hinton Family Sibling Reunion 2024

 We recently hosted the Hinton Family Reunion here in southern Utah.  Rick and Sherrie and Don and Ada are on missions so were not in attendance.  Lorene is serving a mission in Salt Lake City, but was able to attend.  

The reunion started on Thursday.  We had dinner in host homes:

Ken and Kay hosted Jim and Leslie

Dave and Gerri hosted Clark and Nan

Mark and Kathy hosted Lorene

After dinner, at 6pm, we met in the Red Cliffs temple for a sealing session with Ken as the sealer.  We were able to seal many of our ancestors.

After the temple, we came to our house for ice cream.

Friday started with breakfast together at IHOP.  We then went to our church.  We each took a journal of Ken's mom or dad and read in it for about 45 minutes, then we gathered to report on what we read.  This is an activity that we have done two previous times and is always a highlight.

After a picnic lunch, we gathered in our basement to share a piece of music that has meaning to us.  It was wonderful.

The last piece of music was shared upstairs by Jim.  He had learned to play a favorite piece on the piano.

After Hawaiian Haystacks dinner prepared by Gerri, we had a zoom call with the missionaries where we asked them questions that they answered.

After breakfast in the host homes on Saturday, we met at the historic St. George temple for an endowment session.  Afterward, we met at Pasta Factory for lunch.

Those who wanted to, then met at our home to watch the BYU game.  Some read books or napped instead.

It was so fun to watch with other true blue fans.

After a delicious taco dinner prepared by Kathy, we had some workshops.  Clark and Nan taught us with a power point presentation about the effects of cancel culture- those who vilify the founding fathers.  It was really well done and memorable.  Jim and Leslie each reported on a book they had read.  Jim reported on the Wright brothers, a book written by David McCullough and Leslie reported on "These is My Words."

Sunday morning we met at our ward for 8:30am church, then came to our house for business meeting and pasta bar lunch before everyone left to go home.

It was a wonderful reunion!

What Did the Prophet Ask Us to Do? October, 2024

What Did the Prophet Ask Us to Do?

1. Study the messages from this conference. "I urge you study their messages.  Use them as a litmus test of what is true and what is not during the next six months."

2. After announcing 17 new temples, he said, "I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moments.  The Lord is hastening His work."

3. "Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.  Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority.  How can we do this?  Regular worship in the temple will help us.

4. I urge you to devote time each week- for the rest of your life- to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

5. I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ.

6. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.

7. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ.

8. Come unto Christ and offer your whole soul to Him.  "This is the secret to a life of joy!"

Until Leaves Fall in Paris

 

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though I swore I would never read another book with the word “Hitler” in it, I did. And I’m glad. This is a very good book set in Paris during the time the Germans occupied France and then America entered the war. It is a sweet love story between two Americans living in Paris, both aiding the resistance in their own way. It is exciting, intense, and clean. I like clean. 4 stars.

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General Conference, October 2024

 Wasn't general conference wonderful?  Jesus is coming!  

Brielle drove up from BYU with her roommates to attend Saturday evening session.

All ready to go.

Conference tradition in our family is monkey bread or cinnamon rolls.

Our friends texted this picture as they waited for the Saturday evening session.  They were so excited to attend.  They flew up and back.

Before the last session, I texted all of our family members and asked them to post a talk that stood out to them and what they learned from it.  I LOVED the responses from most everyone.  It was such a sweet experience for these grandparents to hear from our precious grandchildren and what impressed them.  Even little Lisi texted that they sure said "God" a lot.  Caleb said it was sick.  I think that means really good?  

I was still sad when the temples were announced and Sendai, Japan was not on the list.  I continue to pray for those dear people to get a temple.

I love general conference.

How to Diet

 “How to Diet (Baker Reading Diet Book)” by Norman Rockwell (1953)

“How to Diet (Baker Reading Diet Book)” considers the quandry of a chef's attempt to lose weight while surrounded by delectable sweets all day long. Amidst the temptation of exquisitely decorated tiered cakes, discarded cupcake tins and freshly mixed icing, the baker fixates on the thinly sliced carrot wavering before him. Mouth agape, clutching an instructional guide titled 'How to Diet,' the earnest baker commits himself to nutrition in spite of this tantalizing environment. The present work served as an amusing anecdote for Post readers, and a reminder of the quick-witted nature of Rockwell's style of painting.

In order to consistently appeal to a wide audience, Rockwell’s choice in subject matter for such covers often stemmed from his immediate surroundings — a tactic that allowed him to relate to the everyday reader. “The best ideas you will get for covers will develop from what happens right around you,” he insisted. Residing in the small town of Arlington, Vermont, Rockwell found inspiration in the actions and experiences of the local community — so much so, that he paid residents five dollars to model for his pictures. Whether a hired local or a willing friend, finding the right model was central to the artist’s ability to perfect his vision.

Reference photos for “How to Diet (Baker Reading Diet Book)” shed light on the lengths that Rockwell went to achieve the desired outcome. Likening himself to a movie director, Rockwell positioned his models in specific poses and finessed their facial expressions and body language every step of the way. “Almost anyone can act if given enough encouragement,” he said of the process. The hands-on artist went so far as to demonstrate how to hold a prop or stand so that his models would get the idea. The reference photo on the left shows the model sporting the full chef’s attire, the fork raised to his mouth in a manner that mirrors the configuration of the finished painting. Notably absent, though, are the tiered cakes and surrounding props and the baker’s face is remarkably animated. Alternatively, the reference image on the right substitutes the chef’s attire for the previously missed cake cart. The difference between these two images is central to Rockwell’s artistic process, who preferred to work from several photographs of the same slightly varied scene, rather than a single image. The effect of this unique approach is a dynamic painting composed of multiple carefully-curated moments rather than an individual photograph.

Rockwell often received criticism by those who considered his illustrations to be old-fashioned or overly commercial; however, his use of photography as early as the 1930s to achieve his vision and the meticulous creation of props to support this process speaks to his forward-thinking and imaginative artistic spirit. In Baker Reading Diet Book, Rockwell handmade these elaborately-decorated cakes in his studio out of cardboard, and frosted them with a concrete-like material in order to give the impression of icing — an approach adopted by real bakeries in order to entice window shoppers with the scrumptious look of their products. Gene Pelham, Rockwell’s photographer and studio assistant of fourteen years, assisted with the production of “How to Diet (Baker Reading Diet Book)”. Between constructing the props and capturing snapshots of the model, he played an integral role in the execution of this painting. From the knocked over cake stand to the dirtied rolling pin covered in flour, the whimsical and spontaneous nature of this painting are indebted to Rockwell’s affinity for photography and his employment of live models.

Baker Reading Diet Book is both light-hearted and comedic, no doubt a reflection of the prosperity felt in post-war America. The 1950s symbolized a new wave of prosperity in America, and Rockwell’s idyllic subject matter reflected this welcome shift. Juxtapose Rockwell’s approach to dessert with that of a more contemporary artist, such as Wayne Thiebaud, and it is clear that the qualities that made “How to Diet (Baker Reading Diet Book)” such a hit sustain the test of time. Contemporary collectors cherish Thiebaud’s use of commonplace objects to evoke feelings of nostalgia and sentimentality. His cakes, ice cream cones, pies and other commodities often appear in orderly conformations and repetitive patterns - a visual feature that feels quite reminiscent of Rockwell’s tiered cake arrangement in the present work.

Norman Rockwell dedicated himself to painting real people in relatable situations in the hopes of finding common ground with the average Saturday Evening Post reader. “How to Diet (Baker Reading Diet Book)” perfectly encapsulates this approach to his art. The choice to abstain from sweets in contrast with the chef’s impulse to indulge is pure human nature, and thus suits Rockwell’s reputation for narrating shared experiences. Further than that, though, this particular cover is rich in humor and provides Rockwell’s audience with comedic relief — an objective inherent in his illustrations and a large factor in the forty-seven year relationship shared between him and the Post. While the attention paid to props, model selection, and photographic planning contribute greatly to the success of this painting, it is the ingenious and quick-witted nature of Rockwell’s narrative that weighs heavily on the work’s lasting appeal.

Grace at Schlotzkes

 We love Branson.  There are so many good Christian people in that town.  One day we went to Schlotzky's for lunch.  I ordered a sandwich to go.  They had a condiment cart.  I opened my hot sandwich to put some vinegar on the sandwich and the sandwich fell off the paper all over the floor.  I was so embarrassed.  I went and told them and a young girl immediately came out and started cleaning it up.  One of the owners came out and talked to me and said they would make me a new sandwich.  I thanked her profusely.  Her reply, "We receive so much grace every day, we need to give grace to each other."  Tears sprang to my eyes.  When she brought out the fresh sandwich, I thanked her again and asked if I could give her hug.  She said, "You sure can."  She then gave me, a long, tight hug.  When I started to pull away, she pulled me in again.  It was the sweetest exchange.  Though still embarrassed, we left with a delicious sandwich and a feeling of joy.

Branson, Missouri

 Ken and I had a fun getaway in Branson, Missouri while our temple was closed.  We flew to Dallas, then Springfield, Missouri, then drove an hour to Branson where we stayed in a nice hotel.

We enjoyed eight shows while there.  Here is the list in order of what we enjoyed the most to least.  

1. Queen Esther- a huge, beautiful production of the story of Queen Esther in the bible.  The sets, costuming, actors and singers were all Broadway quality and absolutely breathtaking.

2. The Duttons- a beautiful family show.  A wholesome. joyful show full of great talent all from one family.  Incidentally, the family originates from Hurricane- Ken's hometown.

3.  John Denver tribute show -

 We felt we were in John Denver's living room and he was singing to us.

4. The Carpenters tribute show.  The lady that sang Karen was really good and sounded just like her.

5. Neil Diamond tribute show

6.  The Haygoods- a family show.  Amazing effects.  Big and loud.

 7. Six- 6 brothers that sing acapella.  Too loud.

8. Abba tribute show.  Though we enjoy Abba music, these performers really weren't as high quality.

Following are some random pictures from our week in Branson:

Neil Diamond show

Photos taken at intermission at Queen Esther, showing the marvelous sets

These lanterns were hung from the ceiling all around the huge auditorium

This was one of my favorite scenes in Queen Esther- a parade across stage with a very realistic looking elephant.

We thought it was funny that there were so many handicapped parking stalls and others labeled for senior citizens only.

Shaking hands with the Neil Diamond actor